Automatic sewer flood control



Nov. 25,'1947. y A. GQRDO-N 2,431,640

AUTOMATIC SEWER FLOOD CONTROL Filed June 9, 1945 Patented Nov. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC SEWER FLOOD CUNTROL Arthur Gordon, Chicago, Ill.

' Application June 9, 1945, Serial No. 598,433

6 Claims. (Cl. 182-26) The present invention relates to an automatic backwater locking gate and particularly to a gate adapted for control of a flooded sewer.

One object of this invention is to provide a gate which will automatically shut to prevent backflow of sewage into a building. Another object is to vprovide a gate that will automatically open when the backfiow of sewage has ceased. An advantage of the invention is its extreme simplicity but positive action and the use of but very few moving parts.

The invention is not limited to sewage flood control but is applicable to any location where it is necessary to control backflow, or flood, or where any other control of liquid is required. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to new constructions but may be installed at small cost in connection with most of the present sewage pumps, sumps or ejectors.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side plan view partly in cross-section of a sewage disposal system equipped` with the novel invention; and Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

In the embodiment of this invention shown inV the drawings, I represents a sewer pipe into which waste water, sewage and the like from a building II is conducted by gravity to a street sewer I2. The sewer pipe passes through a basin or sump I3 below the floor I4 of the building. The upper part of the sewer pipe is cut away in this basin or sump to provide a spillway I5 and at the end of the other section near the street the pipe is completely broken away at Illa a sufcient amount to receive the novelgate I6 of suitable non-rusting material and adapted to close the pipe when lowered to the bottom thereof, the gate being formed with a semi-circular beveled lower end I1.

The gate is slidable in a guideway I3 of suitable material such as a non-rusting metal and having ears or flanges I9 extending therefrom and connected by bolts 29 to the side wall 2| of the sump to which they are secured by nuts 22. The sides of the guide are preferably spaced apart a little greater than the thickness of the gate so that the gate may freely slide therebetween.

The gate I5 is on the end of a rod 23 the upper end of which is provided with a gear rack 24 in a grease-filled box 25 above the building 2 floor I4. This rack meshes with one side of a circular gear 25a suitably fixed to shaft 26 journalled in opposite sides of the box 25. On the side of the gear 25a opposite the gear rack 24 the gear is engaged by a rack 21 on the end of a rod 23 on the bottom of which is a ball float 29.

The top of the rod'28 is provided with an enlarged portion 39 adapted to contact an arm 3| of switch 32 which operates motor 33 connected by a rod in pipe 39 to sump or bilge pump 35. This pump is connected with a discharge line 33 which extends upwardly through the top 31 oi the basin or sump I3 to a point well above the building oor I4. It is there attached to a horirontal pipe 38 which extends to a point near the building wall where it is connected to a pipe 39 leading to the sewer pipe I9. The horizontal pipe 38 is provided with a check valve lll to prevent backilow to the pump and with a removable plug tl to permit cleaning out of the pipe and valve.

The basin or sump I3 may be square or circular as desired and is preferably made with integral bottom 42 and sides 2l but with the top 31 removable to permit cleaning of the basin or sump and repair of the motor or gate. The bottom of the basin is located well below the pipe Il) so as to eliminate operation of the gate except in ood conditions.

In operation the device functions as follows: Sewage, waste Water and the like normally flows through the pipe I0 to the street sewer by gravity, the level of liquid in the pipe lil being below the cutout portion or spillway I5 of the pipe. Should an unusual amount of liquid flow through the pipe some of it will spill over into the basin or sump I3 where it will remain, or from which it will be removed by the pump 35 operated intermittently or manually as the case may be and in a well known manner, but this operation not being a part of this invention will not be described further. During this`norma1 operation the ball 29 being heavier than the gate I6 will remain at rest slightly above the upper edge of the spillway I5 and will keep the gate open.

When a ood or other abnormal condition causing backflow of the liquid from the street Y sewer to the building sewer occurs the liquid will overflow into the basin I3 until it causes the ball to rise to the position shown in the drawings. As the ball rises it lowers the gate until it completely closes the opening Ilia in the sewer pipe and prevents further backflow into the basin. As soon as the ball rises the projection 30 on top of the rod 29 releases the arm 3l of the switch 32 and the motor operates to pump out the liquid in the basin I3 through the pipes 3B, 3l and 38 to the sewer pipe I0. Should the pump lower the liquid below the level necessary to maintain the ball float in position to shut the gate, the float will remain suspended in such position as the back pressure against the gate will more than offset the heavier Weight of the ball.

As the flood subsides, however, this back pressure will cease and permit the iloat to descend and open the gate I6. Normal gravity flow in the pipe ID will then be resumed.

If desired, the motor, pump and bypass pipes 36, 38 and 39 may not be used as the gate will operate successfully without them. In such case the upper edge of the spillway will preferably be flush with the oor or bottom 42 of the basin, so that when the iiood subsides all the overflow will drain out the pipe l0. In such case, however, the normal sewage, etc., from the building will remain in the basin during the flood period. This is not a desirable condition and the use of the motor, pumps, etc. with the gate is greatly preferred.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims in which the term flood condition means any abnormal condition causing back iiow in the building sewer pipe or other conduit.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic back-water locking gate coinprising: a sump basin; a conduit extending through said basin and having an opening therethrough and a spillway, both being located in said basin; a guide member adjacent said opening; a gate member slidable in said guide and adapted to close said conduit; a control member geared to said gate member and adaptedA to maintain said gate in open position during normal conditions and to close the gate automatically under flood conditions whereby backwater is prevented from reaching the basin, said members being so constructed and arranged that the back pressure resulting from said flood condition will maintain said gate in closed position while said condition exists.

2. An automatic back-water locking gate comprising:` a sump basin: a conduit extending through said basin and having an opening there- Number through and a spillway, both being located in said basin; a guide member adjacent said opening; a gate member slidable in said guide and adapted to close said conduit, said member having a gear rack on its upper end; a gear meshing with said rack; and a ball float member having a gear rack meshing with said gear and adapted to maintain said gate member in open position during normal conditions and to close said gate automatically under ood conditions, whereby backwater is preventedy from reaching the basin.

3. In a sewage disposal system having a sewage pipe, extending through a sump basin to a street sewer; a spillway in said pipe in said basin; a guideway/'adjacent the street sewer end of said spillway; a gate in said guideway adapted to close said pipe, whereby sewage from said street sewer is prevented from entering the basin; a ball float geared to said gate to maintain it in open position during normal conditions and to close it automatically under iiood conditions; and automatic means for pumping the contents of said basin to the street sewer when said gate is` closed.

4. In a liquid conduit a sump basin; a pipe extending therethrough and having a spillway therein; a guideway adjacent the normal discharge end of the spillway; a gate in said guideway adapted to open and close said pipe; a rod on said gate extending through the top of the basin; a gear meshing with said rack; a ball float in said basin and connected to a rod having a gear rack meshing with said gear; a pump in said basin; a motor actuated by said ball float rod for operating said pump; and a by-pass conduit from said pump to a portion of said pipe on the exterior of said basin.

5. The device of claim 1, in which the spillway is an open section of the pipe above the normal level of ilow of the liquid in the pipe.

' G. The device of claim 1, in which the control member is a ball oat.

ARTHUR GORDON.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wagner Oct. 22, 1929 Mummert Apr. 14, 1931 Charpier Feb. 12, 1935 De Costa et a1. Apr. 25, 1944 

